1. d4 c5 2. d5 e6 3. e4
{I liked this line because it transposes into 1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5 3.e5 that, in
my opinion, is slightly favorable for white, if not completely favorable.}
3... Nf6 4. Nc3
{4.Bg5 is another candidate move. After 4...h6 5.Bxf6 Qxf6 6.Nc3, 6...exd5
allows the white knight to eye the c7 square, and white is able to exercise
long term pressures. However, 4...exd5 5.exd5 d6 and I do not like the
choice of moves in white's disposal.}
4... d6 5. Bc4 {5...e5 meets 6.f4.}
5... a6
{A candidate here is 6.h4. One of its ideas is h5 in the future, completely
eliminating black's b5 possibility through en passant, but it meets b5
anyways, giving black some breathing room. Another problem with 6.h4 is that
black plays 6...Be7, when white's e5 idea comes to a standstill.}
6. dxe6
{Besides, this straightforward capture solves white's problem of the
placement of the lightsquare bishop much more easily.}
6... Bxe6
{Or so I had thought. After 6...fxe6, where does my lightsquare bishop
stand? I had become too excited with the initiative the e5 thrust would
yield. Then it turns out, 6.h4 was a better move. Indeed, 6.h4 would have
led the position to a less open position, but still with good chances.}
7. Bxe6
{Thankfully, my opponent replied with 6...Bxe6.}
7... fxe6 8. e5
{Will black be able to hold his pawn into the endgame safely? But black's
double isolated pawns and the e4 square is the reassuring sign of payback.
And it comes with some initiative too!}
8... dxe5 9. Qxd8+ Kxd8 10. Nf3
{White's threats on e5, e6, and f7 are evident. But the most important task
that lies ahead is trading the c3 knight with black's f6 knight. It is
executed through the manipulation of the three weak points that black has to
defend.}
10... Nc6 11. Be3 Kc7 12. O-O-O b5 13. Ng5
{Normally, one also needs to take into account his or her opponent's
schemes. But here, the situation is a bit different. Rather, white's main
concern now is how to keep the attack going and regain the material,
although black's plans cannot be entirely disregarded.}
13... Re8 14. Nce4 Nxe4 15. Nxe4 c4
{The first step of the plan is complete. The next step is to exchange
black's darksquare bishop that defends white's point of entrance. The e4
knight's targets are clear. As the pieces are traded over the board, and no
mating attack seems possible, the pressure to regain the material becomes
greater.}
16. Rhe1
{Afterall, the pawn sacrifice on the eighth move was a positional sacrifice,
not a crazy Tal sacrifice. Therefore... I want that pawn back!}
16... Be7
{Now that the bishop finally moved, it is time to play the square that I had
longed for.}
17. Bc5 Bxc5
{17...Rhf8 should have been considered. Now white breaks through easily.}
18. Nxc5 Re7
{If 18...Kb6, then 19.Nd7+ regaining the material, while the e6 pawn would
still be a target.}
19. Nxa6+ Kb6
{Was it this move that black had counted on? It seems like I was a bit lucky
with the initiative that black finally has made a tangible mistake in
calculation.}
20. Rd6 Kxa6 21. Rxc6+ Kb7 22. Rc5 Rf8 23. f3 Kb6 24. Rcxe5 Rf6 25. Kd2
{One weakness can be defended, but two or more weaknesses are harder to
defend.}
25... b4 26. R1e4 Rd7+ 27. Kc1 Rd5 28. Rxe6+ Rxe6 29. Rxe6+ Kc5 30. f4
{The first sign of clueless play. By now my time had almost elapsed, and I
was hanging on with my increments. How was I to tread through the complex
world of endgame then? I was counting on the position that was a guaranteed
win, and was looking to make moves that would not lose.}
Kd4 31. Kd2
{Yes it is an excuse, but a good one! This was a move close to blunder. I
had looked forward to 31...c3+, but how was my assessment...?}
31... c3+ 32. bxc3+ bxc3+ 33. Ke2 Ra5 34. a4 Rxa4 35. Kf3 Ra2 36. Re2
{This was the position that I had assessed. By giving up a pawn, I thought I
would kill black's counterplay.}
36... h6 37. g4 Ra1 38. Kg2 Rd1 39. f5 Rd2 40. Kf3 Rxe2 41. Kxe2 Ke4 42. h3 Kf4
43. Kf2 Ke4 44. Ke2 {The moves were repeated to gain increments.}
44... Kf4 45. Kd3 Kg3 46. Kxc3
{Again, the time trouble does not let me to consider other alternatives.
46.Ke3 Kxh3 47.Kf3 Kh4 48.Kf4 Kh3 49.g5 hxg5+ 50.Kxg5 Kg3 51.Kg6 Kf3 52.Kxg7
Ke2 53.f6 Kd2 54.f7 Kxc2 55.f8=Q was winning.}
46... Kxh3 47. Kd4 Kxg4
{It was at this moment that I realized the position was now drawish. 48.c4
Kxf5 was a trap, but black plays precisely.}
48. c4 h5 49. c5 h4 50. c6 h3 51. c7 h2 52. f6 h1=Q 53. c8=Q+ Kg5 54. fxg7
Qa1+ 55. Ke4 Qb1+ 56. Ke5 Qe1+ 57. Kd6 Qd2+ 58. Ke7 Qb4+ 59. Kf7 Qb3+
60.Qe6 Qf3+ 61. Ke8 Qa8+ 62. Kf7 Qf3+ 63. Ke7
{Again, shuffling the moves to gain increments, and seeing if black would
make a mistake.}
63... Qb7+ 64. Kf8 Qa8+ 65. Qe8 Qf3+ 66. Qf7 Qa8+ 67. Qe8 Qf3+ 68. Kg8 Qd5+ 69.
Qf7 Qa8+
{Black knows the importance of the a8-h1 diagonal. If 69...Qd8+, then
70.Kh7.}
70. Qf8 Qd5+ 71. Qf7 {Game drawn} 1/2-1/2